The invention relates to automatic milking systems of the type having a plurality of suction-controlled teat cups that are securable to the milk glands of an animal.
In known systems of this type, the termination of suction on the teat cups is regulated in accordance with changes in the quality and/or quantity of the milk flowing from the animal after suction on the teat cups is initiated. For example, the system may be arranged so that the suction is terminated upon the occurrence of an undesired change in the milk flow rate, the electrical conductivity, or other quantity indicative of physical changes in the animal or of her milk content.
Up to now, such systems have required large and complex assemblies which are subject to early malfunction and failure, in addition to being costly to maintain and repair. Moreover, such systems have required the assistance of highly-trained operators who continually visually check the quality of successive batches of the milk, especially during the highly-critical initial ejection phase, where manual spilling of the milk for inspection has also been commonplace.